


Forgotten Batallion

by FunnyScout



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29359182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunnyScout/pseuds/FunnyScout
Summary: Many battles have been lost in history. Their heroes are forgotten, their weapons are drowned in the water, their enemies are buried in the ground. The 850th Tank Destroyer Battalion is one of those heroes.
Kudos: 1





	Forgotten Batallion

**Author's Note:**

> Please, when reading, take into account the fact that this battle DID NOT EXIST IN REALITY, everything I wrote is pure fiction. Any coincidences with real people are considered random.

_My name is Robert Jonathan White. I am a Staff Sergeant by rank, serving in the 850th Tank Destroyer Battalion, assigned to the 3rd Armored Division. At the moment, I'm on my way to the town of Derain... or Duren; I'm not sure how to read it correctly. It is inconvenient to write on the weight, I will continue when I arrive._

_12/17/44_

_The time is approximately 12:43 PM. We have arrived at our destination. It is quite empty; apparently the entire population was evacuated long ago, even before our arrival. We set up camp in one of the abandoned buildings on Viktoriastrasse. I see abandoned things everywhere, overturned furniture. This house has certainly seen the better days. Our battalion was equipped with a number of obsolete light «Stuarts», M10 «Wolverine» and M18 «Hellcat» tank destroyers. I was assigned as loader to our «Hellcat», No. 113, and the commander, Master Sergeant George Martin, strongly recommended that I meet the rest of the crew. I really hope that we will become effective tankers and take down a lot of enemy «Tigers» and «Panthers», in the end; this is the task of our battalion - to destroy tanks._

_The time is 1:27 PM. I met my crew. We were assigned a Staff Sergeant like myself, Henry O'Neil, as a gunner, with Sergeant Stanford Brown in the driver's seat, and our radio operator, suddenly a young girl, was Corporal Diana Heather. I got along with everyone; people are kind, friendly and not afraid to talk. The major, William S. Jackson, said that in three hours there would be the first combat reconnaissance, a briefing an hour before the operation. He ordered us to prepare, six more M18s and three M10s will go with us, and now we have food. I'll continue when I finish my lunch._

_The time is 1: 53 PM. I carefully examined my place in the self-propelled gun. I sat down, twirled around a bit, and appreciated the convenience of the internal layout. Shells are obtained without any difficulties, fortunately, not the heaviest. We were not given APCR shells due to supply disruptions. There are only 34 shells in the ammunition pack, all APHEs ones. Apparently, the other 11 were not sent to us because of the same supply problems. Well, that’s not something to worry about, if we meet the enemy – one shell should be enough for a tank, maybe two._

_2: 13 PM. Stan constantly asks me what I write in my diary. I tell him again and again that it's none of his business, and each time he grins and says, «Whatever you want, your diary is your secret. I just hope you don't write nasty things about us». Of course, I do not write anything bad about you, you are my crewmates! Diana regularly sits at the window and looks out at the street. The city remained relatively untouched, it was not hit by artillery strikes, and the Krauts did not blow up the houses in the hope of slowing us down. The only thing that bothers me is what if they're still here? Maybe that's why they didn't blow up anything, so they could see us more clearly? Maybe our position is already known to them, what if our future reconnaissance by combat will be our last? In this war, you can never let your guard down. It was a good thing that there was an underground parking lot nearby. We drove our equipment there, away from possible German eyes._

_4:30 PM. The major knocked and entered our room, after which he announced that the reconnaissance of the battle begins now, the combat readiness is 10 minutes. We jumped up from our couches and beds, grabbed our helmets as we went, and ran to the underground parking lot. The major and six crews, not counting our own, were already in place. After the rest of the crews arrived, the major showed us a tactical map and indicated with the arrows exactly how we would move. We had to get to the Merzenich circumference, then drive as close as possible to Morschenich, and if possible, drive out the enemy troops from there. He warned everyone about possible ambushes on the way, closer to Morschenich, consisting in particular of anti-tank 75-mm guns. He also added that if our position has not yet been revealed, then we will have a good chance to catch the Germans by surprise. Finally, he added that he would pray for our success. He announced the T-minus 40 seconds and saluted, and all the soldiers did so, put on their helmets, and climbed into their machines. The hum of aircraft engines filled the entire parking lot, and the self-propelled guns moved to the nearest forest belt, which was one mile from Merzenich. I waited patiently for the moment when I could show my loading skills._

_5:10 PM. All the equipment arrived at the rendezvous point intact, and we began our advance to Merzenich at 20 miles per hour. Suddenly, a roar of gunfire was heard, and the M10 to my left caught fire. Two more shots and the M10's ammunition exploded. There was a panic among my crew. The commanders of the neighboring self-propelled guns began to look around frantically. The 107th Hellcat ahead of me to my right turned the turret to the left and fired. George looked in the direction of the shot, and saw in the distance two German tanks and three anti-tank guns. The commander shouted at O'Neil:_

_\- Azimuth eighty-five, range over a thousand, target - tank, armor-piercing! White, charge up! Brown, stop!_

_\- Attention, all crews, azimuth eighty-five, range over a thousand, two Panzer IVs and three beaters - Heather's voice was very clear._

_I reacted quickly, pushing the shell into the breech, and prepared the next one. Henry rotated the turret to the left and took aim. Three seconds later, Henry pulled the lever, and the breech spat out the shell casing, along with the powder gases._

_\- Target hit!_

_\- Range is 1,400 meters, - Henry said._

_I looked through the periscope and saw the Panzer IV explode. The turret flew off completely, and one anti-tank gun turned on its side. Despite the first tank destroyed, the battle was not over yet. Other fellow squad mates also noticed the enemies and started shooting. Two minutes later, the last gun was destroyed; the losses on our side were one M18 and two M10. Our party continued to advance, and in five minutes we were in the center of Merzenich. The commander of our squad in the M18 with the number 102 tried to contact our camp in Duren (I still understood how to pronounce it), but in response from the radio there was only a hiss. We realized that we were trapped. That German ambush... the major said they might just be on the way to Morschenich, but they were already here. Our position was known from the very beginning. Either there was a saboteur among us, or the Germans knew of our arrival at Duren in advance. 6:20 PM. We are doomed._

_1_ _2/18/44_

_7: 47. None of our squad slept that night. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before the Germans discovered us. Using the relatively small streets of Merzenich, we disguised the remaining vehicles by covering them with bushes and driving them into the alleys. We still don't have much fuel, but we have plenty of shells. If we are surrounded, we can fight them off. Unsuccessfully, but we can._

_9: 43. We heard the hum of engines. He definitely did not belong to the «Hellcats» nor the «Wolverine». I don't have time to write, I have to get into the machine._

This diary was found in one of the buildings in Merzenich, on Kleiner Weinberg Street, where, presumably, the last detachment of the 850th tank destroyer battalion was stationed. At this point, at 9:43 AM, at December 18, 1944, the diary entries end. No further references or documents attesting to the existence of the 850th Tank Destroyer Battalion were found. The leftovers of German and American vehicles were found in the city. According to the diary of Staff Sergeant Robert J. White, everything pointed to the fact that the American equipment belonged to the 850th TD Battalion – 9 M18s and 1 M10 were found. The crews were not found. German losses amounted to 13 Pz.VI «Tiger», 5 Pz. V «Panther» and 1 Pz. VIB «King Tiger». When examining a suspected ambush site of two Pz. IV and three 7,5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank guns, other tanks were found – 1 M18 and 2 M10, as indicated in White's diary. Thanks to this diary, the fact of the battle of Merzenich was confirmed, as well as an attempt to break through to Cologne from the north, where the territory, as of December 17, was occupied by the enemy.


End file.
